1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scope mount for firearms, and particularly to a universal scope mount that can attach a variety of different scopes or other accessories to a firearm such as a rifle, without the need to purchase multiple scope mounts.
2. Description of Prior Art
Firearms such as rifles have long included scopes for accurate aiming of the rifle at a target. Various different scopes have been developed which have different purposes and different sizes. These scopes are generally attached to the rifle in a readily detachable and replaceable manner, such that various different scopes can be interchangeably connected to the rifle depending on the needs of the user. To facilitate the secure and precise attachment of different scopes, rifles have been commonly configured to include a mount base at the top of the rifle which has become a standard for attachment of many different types of rifle scopes. A scope mount is subsequently attached to the mount base for mounting a scope on the rifle.
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, in a typical conventional scope mounting arrangement, there provided two identical scope rings 8 which are spaced apart along the length of a rifle 7 thereby providing a two point mounting for a scope 9. Each scope ring 8 includes a mount member 80 to be attached to a mount base 70 on the rifle 7 (shown in FIG. 4) and a clamp member 81 to be attached to the mount member 80. The mount member 80 has a base-engaging portion 82 defining a lengthwise channel 83 at the bottom thereof and a receptacle portion 84 integrally formed at the top of the base-engaging portion 82. The lengthwise channel 83 has a general dovetail shape as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 which conforms with an upper engaging portion 78 of the mount base 70. A lengthwise bore 85 is further defined in the base-engaging portion 82 in communication with the lengthwise channel 83 for extension of a bolt 52 therethrough. The receptacle portion 84 defines a semicircular receptacle 840 which receives a body 90 of the scope 9. The semicircular receptacle 840 terminates in two outwardly projecting flanges 841 with one or more screw holes 842 vertically defined therethrough for reception of screws 51. The clamp member 81, which has a configuration similar to the receptacle portion 84 of the mount member 80, also includes a semicircular receptacle 810, two outwardly projecting flanges 811 and one or more screw holes 812 in each flange 811.
When attaching the scope 9 to the rifle 7, the mount member 80 of each scope ring 8 is first attached to the mount base 70 on the rifle 7 with the lengthwise channel 83 thereof receiving the complementary upper engaging portion 78 of the mount base 70 therein and with the lengthwise bore 85 thereof aligned with a corresponding groove 76 in the mount base 70. A bolt 52 is then extended through the lengthwise bore 85 and the groove 76 in the mount base 70 with a free end thereof outwardly exposed for securing with a nut 53, thereby securely attaching the mount member 80 to the mount base 70. The scope body 90 is then positioned in the receptacle portions 84 of the front and rear mount members 80. Once the scope 9 is in the desired position, the two clamp members 81 are placed over the body 90 of the scope 9 directly above the respective mount members 80 so that flanges 811 of each clamp member 81 align with flanges 841 of the corresponding mount member 80. The clamp members 81 and the mount members 80 are then attached together with screws 51, thereby forming a scope ring 8 to clamp the scope 9 in place.
A significant problem with the above conventional scope rings 8 is that these scope rings 8 cannot be universally fit onto scope bodies 90 having different outer diameters. In order to achieve the secure attachment and thus aiming accuracy necessary for a scope 9, a scope ring 8 having an inner ring diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the scope body 90 must be required.
This brings inconveniences to users that prefer to use several different scopes 9 on a single rifle 7. In order for them to change scopes 9 having different body diameters, they would have to purchase new scope rings 8 to substitute the whole original scope ring 8 on the rifle 7. This is uneconomical and takes time, besides the need for the user to purchase a separate scope ring 8 for each individual scope 9. Further, the above conventional scope ring 8 is also limited in its applications in that it is inapplicable to scopes 9 having complex or irregular body contours. When the body 90 of a scope 9 is not cylindrical in shape or has an irregular contour, the above conventional scope ring 8 is no longer applicable to such a scope 9. In addition, the above conventional scope ring 8 is complex in configuration, which is difficult to manufacture and thus increases cost.
Hence, an improved scope mount is desired to address the aforesaid shortcomings of conventional scope rings.